NC meets Governor, seek deferment of Legislative session on GST

Srinagar/June,8: Raising concerns over PDP-BJP government’s intention on Goods and Services Tax (GST), the opposition National Conference (NC) Friday met Governor N N Vohra and sought deferment of Legislative Session till All Party Meet (APM) is held on the issue.
Governor has called special session from June 17 on GST.
Led by working president Omar Abdullah the delegation called on Governor at Raj Bhawan here Friday and apprised him of the party’s fears and apprehensions about the possible and seemingly imminent extension of Constitutional Amendment 101 of the Constitution of India to the State.
The NC said such a plan would have wider and irreversibly adverse ramifications on the State’s fiscal autonomy and will impinge upon the residuary powers enjoyed by the State.
The delegation, on this occasion, submitted a memorandum to Governor and requested him to use his good offices to impress upon the State Government to ensure they don’t take any such arbitrary step which could have far-reaching negative consequences on the residuary powers enjoyed by the State and consequently its fiscal autonomy.
The memorandum present said that the NC  wants  to  expressed  grave  concern  over  the  possible  and  seemingly imminent  extension  of  Constitutional  Amendment  101  of  the  Constitution  of  India  to  the  State  of  Jammu  & Kashmir to facilitate the extension of the Goods  and Service Tax to the State.
The Jammu and Kashmir NC  fears  that  the  premeditated  intent  of  the  State  Government  towards  this  goal  can  have  wider  and irreversibly  adverse  ramification  on  the  State’s  fiscal  autonomy  and  will  impinge  upon  the  residuary  powers enjoyed by the State.
The  NC strongly feels that since the Constitutional Amendment will cause irreparable  damage  to  the  State’s  fiscal  autonomy  and  harm  the  interests  and  rights  of  its  people,  the  State
Government should call an APM and have a threadbare discussion the form of the GST regime so as to allay the fears and concerns of the various political parties and put the entire concept  in public domain so that there is an open debate with the stakeholders. Such an exercise should be undertaken before rushing to schedule a session of the Legislature which should be accordingly deferred.
The  State  Government’s  clear  and  apparent  intention  to  implement  the  GST  regime  in  the  State,  without  due deliberations  with  stakeholders, amounts to bartering  the  interests  of  the  State  and  its  people  for  the  political interests of the ruling dispensation.
It further said that incidentally Finance Minister, who today is the strongest votary of GST implementation in Jammu & Kashmir, is on record of having said “Come GST and neither the State Legislature nor the State Cabinet will have a say on J&K Taxation”. In view of such glaring contradictions, the State Government needs to clarify its stand on this crucial and sensitive issue.
We request you to use your good offices to impress upon the State Government to ensure they don’t taken any such arbitrary step which could have far-reaching negative consequences on the residuary powers enjoyed by the State and consequently its fiscal autonomy